Eye of the Tiger - Delano Public Schools

Eye of the Tiger
Newsletter for District 879 Students, Parents and Community
February 2011
www.delano.k12.mn.us
Delano Public Schools Launches School Energy Saving Program
Delano Public Schools has launched a
program called Schools for Energy
Efficiency® (SEE) that will help the
entire school district save money on
energy costs. The SEE program is
customized for K-12 schools to change
behavior throughout the district through no or low-cost
strategies.
In the summer of 2009, the mechanical system in the
Delano Middle/High School was upgraded. This has
saved the district approximately $97,000 in energy costs
for the year ending June 30, 2010. December 31, 2010,
will mark the first full year of savings from this mechanical
upgrade. The SEE program is the next logical step in the
reduction of energy costs throughout the district.
Hallberg Engineering, a mechanical and electrical
engineering firm based in White Bear Lake, MN, will be
running this program for Delano Public Schools. Hallberg
has more than 25 years of experience serving school
districts. Schools for Energy Efficiency® was created in
response to school districts need for a comprehensive
energy saving initiative specifically for schools. There
are no upfront costs to enter into the SEE program, all
fees paid to Hallberg Engineering are paid from cost savings generated. Using Hallberg Engineering guidelines,
Delano Public Schools estimates saving approximately
$84,000 over a five-year contract period.
Delano Public Schools spend more than $380,000 per
year on energy costs. Our goal through the SEE
program is to reduce energy costs by 10 percent. Through
education and understanding where energy is being used,
district employees will help reduce energy costs which will
enable our schools to use those extra dollars for education
initiatives for the students.
When you visit any of the Delano Public Schools, you will
see posters highlighting the Schools for Energy
Efficiency® program. To find out more and view
information on successful school districts enrolled in the
SEE program, log on to www.seeprograms.com.
Emily Holm Represents Delano High School in
Oratorical Contest
Find Us On
Junior Emily Holm recently won the local oratorical contest at DHS
with her submission of a speech she wrote which was inspired by
Delano resident Walter Grotz, a WWII veteran and Prisoner of War
who delivered a Veteran’s Day speech to students in the fall of 2009.
This annual “Constitutional Speech Contest” was developed to instill
a better knowledge and appreciation of the Constitution of the United
Yes, Delano Public Schools has a
States in high school students. It also encourages the development
Facebook page! Why? Facebook
of leadership qualities, the ability to think and speak clearly, and it
gives you and Delano Public Schools
helps prepare students for acceptance of the duties, responsibilities,
a vehicle for two-way communicarights and privileges of American citizenship. In addition, this program
tion. Our Facebook page is intended
can assist students in their effort to pay for the high cost of a post
to share news and issues related to
secondary education with scholarships beginning at $1,500 up to
the district, and we want you to be
$18,000, which is received by the first place winner.
involved!
After Emily delivered her speech to local veterans at the Delano American Legion, she
competed in the regional competition in Anoka. Emily was nervous to take part in this new
To become a fan of our page, log on
experience, but was by no means a stranger to stage performances, having acted in 15
theatrical performances at school. Although, as Emily discovered, dramatic speech is very to Delano Public Schools website at
challenging. She learned a lot from other students that presented their speeches at the
www.delano.k12.mn.us, and click on
contest this year and plans on taking part in this contest again next year.
the Facebook icon.
The oratorical contest was a new opportunity for Delano High School students this year.
After Emily’s experience, she has one piece of advice for future participants: practice,
practice, practice!
“The Works” Brings Engineering Experiences to DES
During the week of January 3-7, 2011, students at Delano
Elementary School had the opportunity to experience the
excitement of engineering during a week-long residency
put on by The Works. The Works is a non-profit
community organization which creates successful,
inspiring, hands-on learning experiences for kids.
Students had the opportunity to participate in six hands-on
activities including circuit play, where the students found
which liquids travel through electricity; shape and structure
building using magnets; they created vinegar/baking soda
balloons, built noisemakers to learn about sound and built
kaleidoscopes and catapults.
that exposed them to engineering at several levels. Both
of these activities were sponsored by Delano
Elemenary P.I.E. To find out more about The Works, log
on to www.theworks.org/fb/about/what_is_the_works.html.
Minnesota’s Science Standards changed in the spring of
2010 to include engineering. The Works is a perfect way
for students to have more exposure to engineerings different forms. This program is also an introduction to the
classes that are offered to middle and high school students
called Project Lead the Way.
On January 25, The Works came back to Delano Elementary School for a Family Engineering Night. All students
and their families were invited to attend this event for free.
Families had the opportunity to experience ten stations
Delano Public Schools to Host
Kindergarten Round-Up
Delano Elementary School will be hosting Kindergarten Round-Up on Thursday,
March 17 and Tuesday, March 22, 2011. At Kindergarten Round-Up, parents and
children will have an opportunity to meet the teachers and administrators, look
at the facilities, and find out about Delano Elementary’s kindergarten program.
The current kindergarten program is half-day, every day. An all-day kindergarten
program is also offered with tuition charges for the extended time that the children
are in school.
Children with last names that begin with A-K should come on Thursday, March 17
and children with last names that begin with L-Z should come on Tuesday, March
22. If you have a conflict on your assigned evening, please come on the alternate evening. Kindergarten Round-Up will begin with registration from 6:00-6:30
p.m. each evening, with special activities for parents and children beginning at
6:35 p.m. Parents and children will have the opportunity to experience a portion of a kindergartner’s school day by visiting a kindergarten classroom, media
center, computer lab, music room and gymnasium. A short activity is planned in
each area.
After visiting each area, parents will be invited to the gymnasium to receive additonal information, and the children will have activities in a kindergarten classroom.
The evening activities will finish with milk/coffee and cookies in the cafeteria,
where parents will have the opportunity to talk with the Kindergarten teachers,
Principal, Tiger Kids Club Director, Early Childhood Family Education Director,
School Nurse and Transportation Director.
To register for Kindergarten for the 2011-12 school year, children must be five
years old by September 1, 2011. Packets of registration information were mailed
to the 2011-2012 kindergartners. If you did not receive your packet, or if you are
new to the area, please call Delano Elementary School at 763.972.6200, ext.
2119 or 2121.
Early Childhood &
Developmental Screening
Delano Public Schools will be conducting
Early Childhood Health and Developmental
Screening on February 10 & 11 and March
10 & 11, 2011. Children who are three
years, ten months old up to age five are
eligible for the upcoming screening.
Minnesota State Law requires that screening be completed prior to Kindergarten
enrollment. Early Childhood Health and
Developmental Screening includes: height,
weight, vision, hearing, concepts, speech
and languqage, health history, an immunization review and a consultation with a parent
educator. Results from the screening are
shared with the parent the same day and
referrals are made, when necessary.
To schedule a screening appointment, call
Jane Shaffer, Early Childhood Family Education Director at 763.972.6210, press 4.
Delano High School Math Team
Continues to Dominate
Teams at Delano High School come in all shapes and sizes. There are athletic
teams and there are academic teams. The Math Team is one of the most
successful academic teams in the high school and the members like to be
known as “mathletes.” It takes as many buses to transport the math team to
their meets as it does the football team to their games.
DMS Student Helps
Find Cure for Cancer
Through Music
With 74 team members, they continue to lead the pack in wins this year with
placing first in their 7 team conference meet that took place on Monday,
December 13, 2010, in Shakopee. The Tigers placed first in all 4 individual
events as well as the team event. Delano finished 39 points ahead of the
nearest competitor. Senior, Joe Janas, led the Tigers by scoring 12 points,
followed by Zach Muckenhirn and James Redinger with 10 points each. Dustin
Ziegelman scored 9 points as Colette Bersie, Allison Sandlass and David
Swenson scored 8 points each. Here are the results by school:
Delano
Holy Family
Northfield
Lakeville South
International School of MN
Lakeville North
Shakopee
82 points
43 points
42 points
38 points
34 points
28 points
25 points
The Math Team is coached by math instructor Jerry Shouts and Assistant
Principal Joe Vieau.
Art Adventure
One of the Many Volunteer Programs Benefiting Our Students
Art Adventure, designed by the Minneapolis Institute of Art (MIA), is a visual art
appreciation and education program that introduces students to thematic works
of art from a variety of cultures. The main objective is to encourage students
first and foremost to LOOK at the art reproductions, and then TALK about what
they SEE. The “Picture People” are Delano parent volunteers, trained by MIA,
that present the theme reproduction art pieces to their assigned classes.
Picture People facilitate the discussion with thoughtful open-ended questions
and relate the here, then and now facts and props rather than delivering lecture
style information. They are the vital link between original art work and students.
DMS 8th grader, Kailyn Warne, has a
dream to help find a cure for cancer.
Through her gift as a pianist, she writes
music that reflects those affected by
cancer. At the age of 12, she recorded
her first CD of original songs that were
sold through Relay for Life to raise
money to benefit the efforts to find a
cure for those afflicted with this devastating disease. Since then, Kailyn has
recorded two additional CD’s for the
same purpose.
This fall, Kailyn worked with Gwen
Briesemeister, Delano Public Schools
Gifted and Talented Coordinator, to create a film titled, “Keys of Life.” This film
was screened at the Filmanthropist Film
Festival at the West End Theaters in
St. Louis Park, MN. The film highlights
Kailyn’s involvement in creating original
Art Adventure is a stepping stone to help students gain confidence in their ability music to raise money for Relay for Life.
to talk about and find meaning in a new visual world. Carolyn Milano, Art
To learn more about Kailyn’s story, log
Adventure Coordinator for Delano Public Schools expressed, “What I love about on to http://vimeo.com/17751167.
the program is that you never know what aspect and key ideas like theme,
subject matter, color, medium, style, line, technique, mood, etc. will be the focus Kailyn began playing the piano at six
because all students see many different ways to look at art.” Students pracyears old. For her, playing piano is a
tice seeing things from a different perspective. In the end, each student, their
passion. If you would like to support
classmates and the Picture People tie this experience together by creating an
her quest to help find a cure for cancer,
art piece of their own.
you can purchase her music by
contacting Charlene Warne at
“Without the commitment, passion, time and involvement of past and present
[email protected]. The cost is a
volunteers in the Art Adventure program, it would not be what it is today.” stated donation of $5.00 or more, with all of
Carolyn Milano. Art Adventure is maintained and sustained through privately
the money benefiting cancer research.
donated funds. For more information or to become a part of Art Adventure,
please contact Carolyn Milano at [email protected].
Delano School District
700 Elm Avenue East
Delano, MN 553238
Nonprofit Organization
U.S. Postage
PAID
Delano, MN 55328
Permit #13
Delano Public Schools Mission
Delano Public Schools are committed to
achieving academic excellence, responsible
leadership, and consistent integrity.
2010 Board of Education
Peter Brasket, Chair
Amy Johnson, Vice Chair
Tim Douglas, Treasurer
Carolyn Milano, Clerk
Sarah Baker, Director
Lisa Seguin, Director
Erika Frake, Director
ECRWSS
Resident
Eye of the Tiger is published by Delano Public
Schools, 700 Elm Avenue East, Delano, MN,
55328. Editor, Traci Lawman, District
Communications Coordinator, 763.972.3365,
ext. 5111, [email protected].
Educational Excellence is Our Foremost Goal
February Events
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MS Winter Activity Day
One Act Play Section Contest
ES P.I.E. Meeting
7 pm
MS Spelling Bee
8:15 am
HS P.I.E. Meeting
7 pm
HS Winterfest Week
MS P.I.E. Meeting
6:30 pm
DMS P.I.E. Educational Opportunity 7:00 pm
“DARE Overview and Prevelant Drugs in
Our Community” - DMS Media Center
President’s Day - NO SCHOOL
HS Conferences
4:30-8:00 pm
ES Play
7:00 pm
ES Family Fun Night
6:00-9:00 pm
Tiger Activity Center
School Board Meeting
7:00 pm
For the most up-to-date athletic schedules, log on to
www.wcconference.org. Game changes and updates
are posted daily.